Electric water heater and switch



Feb. 19 1924. 1,484,451

M. H. sHoENBl-:RG

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER AND SWITCHy Filed Feb. 2, 1921 2 Sheets-ShedI 1 WW. Y

Feb. 19, 1924. 1,484,451 v M. H. SHOENBERG ELECTRIC WATER HEATER AND SWITCH Filed Feb. 2. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3*\ 11 /44 l 34 WW /O N 33 sa ay vPatented F eb. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES IIILTCNH. snoENBEnG, or sAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

' IILECTRIC WATER HEATER, AND SWITCH.

Application led February 2, 1991, Serial Bb. 441,987.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON H. SHOEN- BERG, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the cit and count of San Fran- 6 cisco, State of lalifornia, ave invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Water Heaters and Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object a simple and effective water heater employing electric current from the service or ordinary socket connections found in dwellings, 'and incororated therein safety means whereby overcading is automatically prevented and also le switch means whereby electric current may be turned on or off at the will of the operator.

These results I attain by a casing through which the water is caused to flow, having thereon connecting means for attachment to an ordinary faucet or service pipe and within the casing a suitable electric resistance insulated from the flowing water within the casing and around the said resistance, and a suitable outlet spout through the casing. I also provide a switch mounted in combination with the resistance element whereby a flow of electric current may be turned through the resistance element or interrupted at the willl of the operator, and in combination with the said switch and heating element a thermal actuated latch, which under normal conditions and below a predetermined maximum temperature, the latch engages the switch so as to maintain the iiow of current through the heating elenient, but upon the maximum permiible jtemperature being exceeded, as for example should the water boil out of the casing, the said latch isl automatically released and the switch thereupon instantly opens the circuit, interrupting the flow of electricity and preventing damage. l

Reference is herein made to my cepending applications 347,732 and 347,734 filed December 27, 1919.

By referring to the accompanying draw ings and following description other objects will appear and my invention will be made clear. l

Fig. 1 is a side view of my invention assembled in place on the end of an ordinary faucet.

Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1.

Fg- 3 iS a perspective view of the switch barrel or rotating element, and showing .also the barriers adapted to rotate between the brushes and with the contact bars in place on the periphery ofthe barrel.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of a `portion of Fi 2 and on the line IV-IV.

ig. 5 is an enlarged cross section through the switch barrel on the line V-V of Fi 3.

Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 5 on the line VI--VI thereof with certain of the interior parts removed.

Fig. 7 is a detail of the switch shaft in longitudinal cross section.

Fig. 8 is a cross section of Fig. 7 on the line VIII-VIII.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the switch shaft showing the spring and pawl in place.

Fig. 10 is a cross section of Fig. 9 on the line X-X.

Fig. 11 is a section through one of the 75 shaft bearings showing the support and the ratchet with which the pawl carried by the shaft is adapted to engage, and showing the pawl and shaft in dotted lines.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the heating elements and illustrating particularly the preferred manner of winding and the terminal connections.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the brushes and contact bars carried by the barrel of 85 Fig. 3 and in the position which they will occupy to close the circuit through the heating elements across the brushes.

Fig. 14 is a diagrammatical showing of part of the electric connections.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged cross section of Fig. 2 on the line XV--XV thereof with a portion of the lower casing broken away and showing also the thermostatic actuation of the switch. l

Fig. 16 is a detail of the holding means whereby the heater may be attached te a faucet.

Thron hout the figures similar numerais refer to Identical parts. me

A casing adapted to enclose the heating elements and through which the water to be heated is passed is indicated by the numeral 1, from the lower portion of which there is a hollow connecting member 2 to the 305 faucet 3 and against which faucet the device is held lby the dogs 4, 5 and the clamping screw 6. Between the faucet and the member 2 may be introduced the rubber washer or suitable packing 7 Mounted on the upper` 319 part of the casing 1 is the switch and thermostat tripping mechanism normally covered by the top 8 which is provided with a window or peak-hole 9 through which the ,pd sition of the switch barre may be rea ily observed to determine its position at any time. The window 9 I prefer to arrange opposite one of the insulated barriers as 10 (see Fig. 2). The switch is adapted to be rotated by the exposed fin er member 11.

The water flows rom the aucet 3 through the channel 12 of the member 2, thence into the casing 1 and thence around the heating element and thence out throu h the spout 13. Referring particularly to igures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 15 the switch barrel 14, I prefer to form of insulation material having set in its periphery a pair of contact bars 15, 16 1n line with each other and each bar attached to bridge a pair of brushes. Over the periphery of the barrel 14 and spaced so as -to form barriers between the said brushes I introduce the collars 10, 17, 18 and 19. rl `he barrel 14 is drilled in an axial direction through its center and fitted with a bushing 20 which is drilled for the central shaft 21 of Fi 7 and 8. The said barrel is also drill at rioht angles to its axis with the hole 22 and tted opposite thereto with the bushing 23 adaped to carry an escapement pin 35 andspring 36, see Fig. 15. The said barrel is also drilled in its riphery with the hole 24 for receiving the ree end 25 of a coil spring (see Fig. .9). The barrel 14 is is mounted on the shaft 21 shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 and the said shaft is carried in a pair of suitable supports 26 and 27, Figs. 2, 11. The support 26 is provided with a ushing 28 formed with ratchet teeth 70 adapted to engage the pawl pin 30, of the shaft 21 which is actuated by the internal spring member 31 and spring 44 (see Figs. 7, 9 and 10). The opposite end of the coil spring above mentioned is fixed at 32 to the shaft 21 thus roviding an elastic engagement between s aft 21 and barrel 14, and the finger member 11 is connected by a suitable screw threaded at 33 to the said shaft. On the shaft 21 I provide a flat portion 34 adapted to rotate within the circle of movement of the escapement pin 35, which pin is held in position 1n the bushing 23 (see Figs. 5, 15) with the spring 36 under compression against its enlarged head 37 and which head is, through the action of said sprin held in frictional contact against the shag. 21.

It will thus be seen that if the shaft 21 is rotated with respect to the barrel 14 the escapement in 35 will remain in the expanded position o Fig. 15 until the flat portion 34 comes in line with the head 37, at which time the compresion spring 36 will force the escapement pin inwa y against the fiat portion and free of the restraining latch 39 and into the position shown in Fig. 5, when the barrel 14 will be free to rotaie in the direction of the arrow 38. During the riod of rotation of the shaft 21 and before t e flat portion 34 has rotated under the head 37 the coil spring 25, 32 will have been wound up to cause a rotative impulse to the barrel 14 which has heretofore been restrained from movement by the pin 35 enga ing the latch 39 but when the said pin has n retracted the barrel will then rotate carryin with it the commutator bars 15 and 16, w ich will now be rotated away fromtheir brushes and any circuit previously existing will be interrupted.

The rotation of the barrel 14 will continue until the pin 35 being now forced outward bg riding on the circular peripher of the s aft 21 over which it is now traveling, has arrived at the stope40. A further rotation of the finger mem r 11 causes the winding of the spring and rotation of the shaft 21 until the flat portion 34 again comes under the head 37 of the esctement pin, when the latter is a in retrac and the barrel 14 rotates in t e direction of the arrow 38 until the escapement pin engages the sto 41 in the same manner as above described. When the pin 35 is against the stop 40 or against the stop 41, no current is flowing through the circuit controlled by the switch. When the escapement pin is in contact, however, with the restraining latch 39 the bars 15, 16 bridge the brushes 54, 56, and 55, 57 and the circuit under the control of the switch is energized from the electric service connection 42 (Fi 1 and 13). When the circuit is energize the barrier 10 exposes a suitable indication in front of the window 9 showing the electrical condition of the circuit.

Referring particularly to Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, the shaft 21 is bored on one of its ends and provided with the internal spring 44 which actuates the pawl 30, the latter being slidable in a groove cut through the said shaft so that the end 30 enga es the teeth of the ratchet 28 of Fig. 11, t us reventing the backward rotation of mitting only its forward rotation in the direction of the arrow 38 and winding of the spring 25, 32.

One of the heating elements is shown removed from its sheath and with the insulation partly -stripped therefrom in Fig. 12. In the form of heater illustrated there are two of these heating elements connected in series and each of them is slid into a sheath member 46, 46 from which it is insulated by the sheet insulation 47 (see Fig. 15) These elements are formed by winding a lon resistance wire loop, the two ends of whic are connected to the tively, and the loop then wound as a double wire about the base me ber or insulation 50 for which I prefer to employ mica (see Fig.

the sha t but per-- terminals 48, 49, respecl 12). The terminal of the loo is shown at 51 and may be fixed in a noto in the mica or otherwise secured.

After winding the wire as indicated 1n Fig. 12 the entire surface is preferably given a coating of cement or other fixing material wherebyfthe wire is prevented from sli ping. I then place over each side of this winding insulating sheets 47, 47 and slip the entire element within the sheath 46. This sheath I prefer to form of a piece of tubing flattened on its sides and pinched and soldered on its lower end. The sheath is then sli ped through the cover late 52 and sol ered around its upper e gethereto. The plate 52 is also preferably soldered to the casing 1, thus leaving the open ends of the sheat tubes open to the outside of the casing and hermetlcally sealed from any water ingress. The terminals as 48, 49 are now connected. above and` outside entirely of the casing, so that the two heating elements are in series between the terminals 53, 48. These are then connected up with the brushes 54., 55 (see Figs. 13, 14). The remaining two brushes 56, 57 are then connected with the main supply 42 so that when the bars 15, 16 are rotated by the switch barrel 14 into the position indicated at Fig. 13 the heating cle ments are energized from the circuit 42. It is to be understood` that the several switch parts and brushes are assembled on the insulated base 58 which is mounted in spaced relation with the casing 1 and top 52, by the spacing and supporting members 59 and 6G,

The thermostat member 6i, is formed of two strips of different metals Welded or soldered together and havin different coeicients of expansion and the lower end of this strip is fixed adacent to one of the heating elements as to t e sheath 46, so that the stri 61 derives a heating influence from a heating element, and due to the dif ferent expansion coeilicients of the two metals of which the strip 61 is formed, it will, upon excess heating, move into the dotted position 62, and at such time willrelease the barrel 14 to rotate in the direction of the arrow 38 until the stop 4G is reached or approximately one-third of a revolution, breaking the circuit which has heretofore energized the heating elements. These will now undergo cooling and the strip 61 will return from the dotted position 62 to the position 61, carrying the latch 39. It will be noticed that I have shown two stops 40 and 41, Fig. 15, and the pin 35 may take either of the dotted positions 63 or 64 or the full line position 35 correspondin with three angular positions of the switc barrel 14 at intervals of approximately 120 degrees. These two stops are provided for the reason that if the thermostat has shifted the latch 39 into its dotted position thus clearing the escaping pin the barrel 14 will rotate until the pin 35 comes into the dotted position 63. If it were not for the stop 41, and while the thermostat is still hot the operator rotates the finger member 11 winding the spring 25, 32 until the flat portion 34 of the shaft 21 releases the escapement pin from its position 63 the barrel 14 would malre a complete revolution and at the expiratlon of such complete revolution (in case the shaft 21 had not in the meantime been rotated) the restraining pin would again come opposite the flat portion 34 and the said pin be withdrawn and the barrel would continue to rotate until the spring had unwound, thus leaving the barret 14 in some arbitrar5 posltion which might in some cases correspond with a closed cincuit. This would clearly be detrimental and hence the second stop 41 is provided so that under the abnormal condition oi the latch 39 clearing the pin 35 under the action o'E the thermostat the harrei wili advance 126 degrees to position 63. The second operation could only aci vance the herrel another degrees or until the pin tooh` the position 64 against the sten 41 and further operation, if the block 39 is in its outer or dotted position, would cause a maximum rotation of 246 degrees or hach' to the position 63 melting the movement posi tive and aiway's to a position of neutrality o?? open circuit if the restraining latch. 3* been moved outward due to the excess heating of the thermostat element 61.

The operation will be as follows:

Referring to Fig. 1 the assembled heater is attached to the faucet 3 by the clamping dogs 4, 5 against the faucet by the action of the clamp screw 6. 1Water is now turned through the faucet and will travel through the passageway 12 into the casing 1 and around the sheaths 46, 46 and out through the spout 13. If it is now desired to heat the water, the linger member 11 is rotated in the direction of' the arrow 38 and until the signal 43 on the barrel 10 (see Figs. 3, 4) and obrvable through the window 9, indicates a closed circuit. The parts will then be in the position indicated in Fig. 15 @urrent will now flow through the electric service cord 42, brush 56, bar 15, brush 54, through the heating elements in series, and out at 53 through the brush 55, bar 16 and to the other brush 57,- thus completing the circuit. The resistance wire of the heating elements will now cause a heating of the walls of the sheaths 46, 46 and will therefore heat the water flowing in contact therewith. If now the water flow be shut off from the faucet 3 the body of water contained in the casing 1 will become excessively hot and will in a few seconds boil away from the upper portion of the casing at which time the thermo stat element 61 will become excessively hot causing a movement outward to the dotte lil@ ` lic sheath open at asp position 62 and the -release of the restraining atch 39 from the pin 35 at which time the spring 25, 32 causes the rotation of the barrel 14 through a movement of 120 degrees or into an open circuit gotion, thus automatically interru ting t e ow of current.

at any time t e switch be rotated by the n ger member 11 into the closed position without water actually flowing within the casing 1 the thermostat 61 will lmmediately act to automaticall interrupt the closed circuit, before any anger-ous or burnout condition can be reached.

I claim:

1. An electric heater comprising a metalthe top and extending into a casing through which a fluid is adapted to flow and sealed to prevent the entry of said fluid in said sheath, an electric resistance element inserted into said sheath and connections thereto introduced through said. open top, a thermostat element constructed and adapted to move a latch under temperature variations and a, switch adapted to make or break an electric circuit through said resistance, an

escapement pin associated with said switchl pin, and finger operated means and adapted to engage said latch when said thermostat is below a predetermined temrature and which is released therefrom the movement of said latch when said temperature is exceeded and spring means by which said switch is moved into open circuit position whenever said latch clears said 2. An electric heater com rising a metallic sheath open at the top an extending into a casing through which a fluid is adapted to iiow and sealed to prevent the entry of said fluid in' said sheath, an electric resistance element inserted into said sheath and connections thereto introduced through said open top, a; thermostat element constructed and adapted to move a latch under temperature variations and a switch adapted to make or break an electric circuit through said resistance, an escapementdpin aociated with said switchaand adapte to engage said latch when said thermostat is below a predetermined temperature and which is released therefrom y the move# when said temperature is by which said ment of said latch exceeded and spring means switch is moved into open circuit position whenever said latch clears said pin and a plurality of stops each corresponding to vmake or break an o ntircuit ptionsdof vaa'd and aap to gesaip an ro erated meaneg; which sali switch may moved'from any stop or said latch into the next stop iton.

3. An e ectric heater comprising a metallic sheath open at the. to and extending into a easing through whic a fluid is adapted to ow and sealed to prevent the entry of said fluid in said sheath, an electric resistance element inserted into said sheath and connections thereto introduced through said open top, a thermostat element constructed and adapted to move a latch under tem rature variations and a switch adap to electric circuit through said resistance, an escaement pin associ with said switch and a apted to engage said latch when said thermostat is below a etermined temperature and which is re eased therefrom by the movement of said latch when said temperature is exceeded 'and spring means by which said switch is .moved into o n circuit position whenever said latch c ears said pin and a plurality of stops each corresponding to open circuit positions of said switch and adapted to engage said y which said switch may be moved from any stop or said latch into the next stop position said switch comprising a c lindrical member mounted on a shaft an a springtherebetween and finger operable means for rotating said shaft contact bars on said c lindrical member a apted to contact with rushes to establish a circuit element.

4. An electric heater as 'set forth in claim 3 wherein said escapement pin is loca in said cylindrical member and is actuated by said shaft. f

5. An electric heater as set forth in claim 3 wherein said escapement pin is loca in said c lindrical member and is actuated by said aft and a spri normally holding said pin a inst the perip ery of said shaft.

through said heating 6. An e ectric heater as set forth in claim 3 wherein said escapement pin is located 1n said c lindrical member and is actuated by mid aft and a spring normally hold' said pin against the periphery of said sha and standards supptorting said shaft and a ratchet and wl ween said shaft and one of said stan ards.

MILTON H. SHOENBERG. 

